Sliding jack-switch.



No. 847,750. PATENTBD MAR. 1'9, 1907.

G. P. ESPY.

SLIDING JACK SWITGH. APPLIOATION FILED NOV. 23, 1906.

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GEORGE FREDRICK ESPY, OF UNION FURNACE, PENNSYLVANIA.

SLIDING JACK-SWITCH.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented March 19, 1907.

Application filed November 23,1906- Serial No. 344,802.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, GEORGE FREDRIcK EsPY, a citizen of the United States, residing at Union Furnace, in the county of Huntingdon' and State of Pennsylvania, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Sliding J ack-Switches, of which the following used in connection with telegraphic transmitters, but which will also be useful in connection with other electrical apparatus where it isneedful to make circuit changes with rapidity.

Briefly stated, the object of the invention is to enable telegraphic operators to connect their sending keys or transmitters successively with different transmitting-lines, making the change from one line to the other instantly and without breaking the circuit of any one of said lines.

The way-stations along all railroads are usually in telegraphic communication with a number of trunk-lines, each line being connected in the station through a set of instruments comprising a relay or sounder and a transmitter. It is necessary for the station operator to send signals through first one trunk-line and then through the other. These changes must be made with great rapidity, especially when reporting the whereabouts of trains for use in block-signaling systems. Instead of changing from one transmittingekey to another when it is desired to signal over different lines it has been proposed to provide a single transmitter with an attaching-plug connected to the usual binding-posts and by means of said plug to connect the instruments first with one line and then with the other. While this was an improvement over the old method, yet it required the operatorto first withdraw the plug connection from one trunk-line and then step over to another line and connect the plug thereto. To obviate these difiiculties, applicant has invented the movable jack-switch constituting the subjectmatter of the present case, which enables the operator to instantly change the' connection of his transmitter from one trunk-line to another.

Referring to the accompanying drawings, Figure 1. is a top plan View of my sliding jack-switch connected to a transmitter. Fig. 2 is a sectional elevation along the line 2 2 of Fig. 1 looking toward the left; and Fig. 3 is a diagrammatic illustration showing how my sliding switch may be connected to a number of trunk-lines in a station.

The switch consists of a base 1, provided with a movable tongue 2, slidingly mounted in the base 1 and carrying the spring contactarms 3 of the jacks. The tongue piece 2 may be slid from one position to another by means of a pull or handle 4. I The spring-contacts 3 are secured to the sliding member 2 by means of screws 5, assing through binding posts 6, which may be in the form of washers or other connectors. Each pair of springs 3, constituting a jack, is connected with a double contact-plug 7 by means of the usual insulated two-part flexible cable 8. Projecting from one side of the base 1 is a double connector A, composed of two plates 9 and 10, separated by insulating material, this connector constituting the means by which the switch is electrically connected with a transmitter.

For purposes of illustration I have shown my sliding jack-switch connected to a transmitter of a type now largely used and known as a VibropleX, a detailed description of which will be unnecessary, as this constitutes no part of my invention. It may be well, however, to state that the essential features of this transmitter are a key 1 1, which is used to send the long impulses on the Morse signals, while the short impulses or dots are produced by the vibrations of the arm 12, connected with the key through the spring 13 and by its movements controlling the contacts 14. It is evident that my switch'may be used withany of the transmitters commonly employed and that it may be used in connection with any instrument whose terminals it is desired to change from one set of contacts to another.

In the particular arrangement disclosed it will be seen by reference to Fig. 2 that the plate 9 of the connector is connected to the binding-post 15, while the lower plate is in contact with the base 16 of the transmitter, the key 11 and circuit-switch 17 being in electrical connection with the base-plate, as is usual in transmitting-keys I have shown the switch supported. by a plate D, which is fastened in any suitable manner to the base-plate 16 of the transmitter; but any other convenient means of supporting the switch may be employed.

When the sliding member 2 .is moved into such a position that the connector A slides between the members of a spring-jack, as shown at B in Fig. 1, the upper and lower springs 3 will make electrical connection, respectively, with plates 9 and 10 of the connector, thus tln'owing the transmitter into circuit with any line into which the plug 7 has been inserted. Then the slide has been moved into a position where the jacks are disengaged -l'rom the connector A, the springs 3 of each jack will be in contact, as shown at C. Bearing in. mind that there is always a short circuit through the transmitter when the circuit-switch 17 is closed, it will be evident that the line-circuits to which the plugs 7 are connected will not be opened by any movement of the sliding jack-switch provided the circuit-switch oi the transmitter is closed.

In Fig. 3 I have shown how my switch may be employed in any station in which a number of trunk-lines are connected through the ordinary Morse sounders 1S and keys 19 in the trunk-lines X and Y and by means of a spring-jack 20 in a switch-board 23 with the trunk-lines Z. In the position shown the sliding .member of the switch has been moved into the central position, so that the connec tor A is in electrical connection with the springs 3 of the switch-jack, which is con nected, through lleXible cable 8 and plug 7, with the trunk-line Y. It will be observed that this connection is made by inserting the plug 7 under the usual sprii'ig-contact 24 of the Morse key, the plugand transmitter connected thereto, thus bridging between the said spring 24 and switch-arm 17. At the right of the figure another plug 7 is similarly inserted under the contact-spring 24 of the key in the line X, and it will be evident that the electrical circuit is preserved through the springs 3 of the switch-jack. At the left oi" the .[igure I have shown how a plug connected to my jack-switch may be inserted in the trunk-line Z by means of a s pringj ack 20 in the switch-board 23. Spring-jacks 21 and a may be similarly inserted in. circuit with trunk-lines Y and X, whereby the connections may be made with my sliding jackswitch without utilizing the Morse keys in said lines.

The operation of my device will be appar ent from the above description. IVhen the operator desires to cut-in or connect with any trunk-line, he has merely to move the sliding member 2 until the connector A engages the springs 3 of the corresponding jack. If the switch 17 of the transmitter is in closed position, this movement will not open or al- ,t'ect the circuit of the trunk-line, and he may listen to see whether the sounder connected. with this line indicates that the line is in use before opening the circuit by means of his transmitter-switch 17. It is evident that a single sounder could be connected permanently with the transmitter and used to receive messages from any of the trunk-lines successively.

IVhile I have illustrated the movable part of my switch as a sliding member, it Will be apparent that I may employ a rotary member to carry the spring-jacks. It will also be evident to those skilled in the art that I may secure the spring-jacks to the stationary base 1 of my switch and carry the connector A on the movable portion, in which case the connector would be electrically connected with the transmitter by means of flexible conductors.

I claim as my invention, and desire to secure by Letters Patent 1. A switch having a base comprising stationary and movable portions, a connector provided with separated contact members and carried by one of saidv base portions, pairs of cooperating contacts carried by the other base portion, and. means for bringing said connector into engagement with any pair of contacts by actuating the movable base portion, substantially as set forth.

2. A switch having a base comprising stationary and movable portions, a connector having separated contact-plates carried by said stationary portion, a plurality ol" pairs of normally closed spring-contacts carried by the movable portion, said 'i'i'iovable portion being arranged to slide in the path of said connector whereby said plates are brought successively into contact with and simul taneously sepzu'ate said pairs of springcontacts, substantially as set forth.

3. A switch adapted to connect a transmitter successively into circuit with different telegraphic circuits, comprising a base having stationary and movable portions, a connector mounted upon one of said base portions, having insulated contact-plates For connection with said transmitter, sets of contactplates adapted to be connected respectively in said telegraphic circuits, mounted upon the other base portion, and means for moving one base portion longitudinally to cause the plates of said connector to contact with one or another set of contacts; substantially as described.

4:. A switch adapted to connect a trans ICO mitter successively into circuit with different be connected with the transmitter and 10- 1o telegraphic circuits, comprising a base hav- 3 cated in the path of said sliding member; ing a stationary member and a sliding memsubstantially as set forth.

ber, a plurality of pairs of normally closed In testimony whereof I affix my signature contacts carried by the sliding member proin presence of two witnesses.

vided with means for connecting any pair of GEORGE FREDRICK ESPY. contacts with any one of said circuits, and a Witnesses:

connector mounted upon said stationary T. B. ALBRIGHT,

member, having contact-plates arranged to JAMES C. MILLER. 

